Rotary engine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES TOBRENGE, OF CLARION COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,574, dated March 29, 1881.

l Application filed August 5, 1880. (Model.)

To atl whom it may concern:

Beit known that l, JAMES TORRENCE, of the county of Clarion and State of Pennsylva nia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements iii-Rotary Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, Sudicient to enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, and in which- Figure l is a plan view of my improved engine, with the upper half of the cylinder removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section thereof on line x @o of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view, showing the parts enlarged, with packing to produce steam-tight joint where the piston-cylinder divides the steam-cylinder into two chambers or compartments.

This invention appertains to improvements in that class of rotary engines having a cylinder provided with a revolving cogged or toothed wheel which engages with spiral grooves in the steam-cylinder; and it consists of a pistoncylinder with its central portion, within which is hung its revolving toothed or cogged wheel, provided with a circumferential bulge or enlargement adapted, with packing, to divide the steam-cylinder having the spiral grooves into two chambers-a steam-supply and an eX- haust chamber.

It consists, further, in providin g the pistoncylinder, at equal distances from its center, with circumferential flanges or rings, opposite which are arranged, upon the interior of the steam-cylinder, similar anges or rings, the joints between which are tted with steamtight packing, substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Referring to the accompan yin g drawings, A indicates the steam-cylinder,which, as is usual, is constructed in two parts or halves, suitably bolted together. To the inner Vcircumference of the cylinder A, about midway its length, is supplied an elevation, c, having the spiral grooves a a. In the faces of the walls of the grooves are inserted packing c, seated or cushioned in slots in said Walls upon springs c', which take up the wear of the packing. The

inner circumference of this cylinder is further provided or cast with rings or ilanges d d at equal distances from its center, the function of which will appear hereinafter.

B refers to the piston-cylinder, with its shaft bearing in the ends or heads of the steam-cyl- `inder A, one end of the shaft having a pulley,

overor around which maybe passed a belt for transmitting motion to the machinery to be operated. The piston-cylinder B 'is provided `at its central portion with a bulge or enlargement, c, which, it will be observed, is adapted to meet the stealn-tight-packed faces of the walls of the grooves a a of the steam-cylinder A, and thus ena/ble the piston-cylinder itself to divide the steam-cylinder into two chambers-a steam-suppl y chamber and an eX haustchamber.

Within a slot in the bulged portion of the piston-cylinder is pivoted or hung, at its ceuter, the steam-wheel O, having peripheral cogs or pistons f f, a number of which project beyoud the bulge or enlargement c of the cylinder B, as seen in Figs. l and 2, to receive consecutively the action of the steam thereon.

Upon the periphery or circumference of the piston-cylinder B are preferably cast, at equal distances from the center ot its circumference, two rings or flanges, g g, coinciding with theA flanges or rings d d of the steam-cylinder. The joints between these lian ges g d are packed steam-tight by the packing h, acted upon by the compensating-springs h', taking up wear of the packing.

It will be noticed that while these rings, the area of which pressed by the steam is equal to the surface ofthe bulging portion of the piston-cylinder pressed` by the steam, prevent endwise movement of the piston, as would occur in the absence of the rings, they also, with the coincident rings on the outer cylinder, afford a convenient and more effectual method of packin g the piston-cylinder steam-tight than could be obtained by arranging the packing at the ends of the said cylinder. l

The' steam supply and exhaust pipes are in dioated in full and dotted lines in the two main figures. As before intimated, the steam is fed into one of the chambers into which the steam-cylinder is divided by the piston-cylinder, when its pressure will act upon the eX IOC various kinds of pumps capable of receiving,

rotary motion.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the steam-cylinder A, having the steam-tightpacked spiral grooves c', of the piston-cylin` der B, carrying the cogged or toothed wheel G, and having the central peripheral enlargement or bulge e, meeting the packedV faces of zo the Walls ofthe grooves c of the cylinder B, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 2. In arotary engine, the combination, with the steam-cylinder A, having the spiral grooves a', with the faces of their walls packed steamtght, and the rings or anges d d, with steamtight packing, of the piston-cylinder B, having the toothed or cogged Wheel C, the central peripherial bulge or enlargement, e, meeting the packed faces ofthe walls of the grooves el', and the peripheral flanges or rings g g, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES TORRENGE. Witnesses:

W. D. J. MARIIN, C. H. SHOWALTER. 

